It is known to sterilize objects by means of an autoclave in which the object that is to be sterilized is raised to a determined high temperature, of about 120° C., with this lasting for determined periods of time and with cycles that are set out by legislation.
Applying a high temperature can raise difficulties and can lead to certain objects being damaged, e.g. when those objects include portions made of polymer material.
Methods that enable sterilization to be performed at lower temperatures have consequently been developed in order to reduce the damage to objects while they are being treated.
In this context, methods of sterilization have been developed by treating the object with a stream of atomic nitrogen from a nitrogen plasma.
Nevertheless, it remains desirable to improve the effectiveness of sterilization by known methods, in particular by reducing the treatment time.
In addition, certain known methods may present a phenomenon of saturation insofar as there may always remain some quantity of microorganisms that are not destroyed by the sterilization treatment, even if the treatment is prolonged. It would be desirable to have a method with improved sterilization effectiveness, without such a saturation phenomenon.